


Welpenliebe

by Shady_Knight



Series: Till Lindemann Stories [4]
Category: Rammstein
Genre: Age Difference, Altered Mental States, Alternate Universe - Mein Teil, Anger, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Dehumanization, Emotional Baggage, F/M, Genderswap, Hurt, M/M, Master/Pet, Older Man/Younger Woman, mention of suicide
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-08
Updated: 2019-07-16
Packaged: 2020-06-24 18:34:06
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,447
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19729399
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shady_Knight/pseuds/Shady_Knight
Summary: Frau Schneider's brother and his wife just died - leaving Frau Schneider's niece alone in the world, in a home much too big for her. Frau Schneider decides to let the young woman stay with her for a week.Inspired by the story Mein Tier by the author Arrestzelle.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Mein Tier](https://archiveofourown.org/works/13677225) by [Arrestzelle](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arrestzelle/pseuds/Arrestzelle). 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The title is a literal translation of "puppy love" (which isn't an actual term in German btw).

Frau Schneider hadn't heard from her brother in a few months when the news arrived. Dead. Killed in a car accident. He probably died on the spot. Frau Schneider's heart twists - this was the man she was raised with after all, one of the few people in her private life who knew of her...hobby. He hadn't understood it but he wasn't exactly against it either - what _Herr Schneider_ did to earn a living wasn't completely legal as well, so he really had no reason to argue.

Frau Schneider has a niece, a sweet girl - well young woman now, to be fair and a sister-in-law left. The woman never got along along with her brother's wife - she found the woman too weak-willed and spineless in all the wrong places and too idealistic in others. It truly was a wonder that the marriage even worked. But the niece - Frau Schneider knows that she has the potential to be great. She is shy, like her mother but Frau Schneider could see that there is something beneath that - a hardness that Frau Schneider recognized within herself. If Frau Schneider had any other relations to choose from, she'd still stay that Rachel Schneider is her favorite.

After she had been informed of the accident, Frau Schneider calls the girl when she gets home from work, letting the puppies nuzzle at her legs but ignoring them save for batting them (mainly Till and Richard) away from underneath her skirt. She puts the girl on speaker as she shruggs her jacket off, loosening her silk scarf afterwards. "Dear Rachel, how are you?"

"I'm...I'm fine, considering the circumstances. Mother and me - we don't have to worry about money or things like that, we have more than we could ever spend, but...I don't know. The house feels empty without him. It's just me and mum - well, and the staff. But it's not the same.", the young woman takes shaky breath. " _I miss him_."  
Frau Schneider sighs and looks at her puppies, noting that they have perked up at hearing another voice from her phone (not that they knew what it was), they look at the small device with great interest. "We all do.", she replies, trying to shush the dogs at her feet away.

An idea forms in Frau Schneider's head but she quickly dismisses it, knowing that Rachel's mother would never agree to it. She has been kept largely unaware of the Schneider's slighty shady business and lifestyle - even more so than Rachel. His daughter, Johannes Schneider had deemed more trustworthy in that regard than his own wife.  
Frau Schneider and Rachel continue their conversation for a while - and the older woman is reaffirmed in her affection for her relative - the girl truly is a Schneider. A woman after her own heart. Having talked well into the night, Frau Schneider alterd the usual plan for the day slightly, deciding that the puppies can wait until the morning to be groomed again.

That next morning, Schneider wakes up to the furious ringing of her phone. Normally, she would ignore it in favour of her mourning routine but a quick look at the screen tells her that Rachel is the caller. Frau Schneider is glad that the dogs haven't slept with her today. They'd only be a nuistance. She answers the call calmy, only to be barraged with her niece's hysterical voice. "Ohmygod! _Ohmygod_!", Frau Schneider can't understand a word and tries to coax information out of the upset girl. "What is it, Rachel? Has something happened?"

" _Yesyes._ Oh no. _Oh no._ She's not- she's not breathing! There's foam at her mouth and there's a bottle of pills and-"

"Who isn't breathing?", Frau Schneider cuts in, agitation rising.  
"Mother! She's-she's _dead_. Oh my god, she's dead.", the woman on the other side chokes out and a cold ahudder goes through Frau Schneider. "Have you called an ambulance, Rachel? Maybe they can still save her?", she asks. She hears rustling. "N-No. But I don't need to. She's cold. I think she took them shortly after I went to bed last night. _Oh God_!", the girl sounds clearler now, but it is agony and a certain anger that marrs her next words. "She must have known that I'd be the one to find her! FUCK! _She gave up! She...she left me. She left me behind._ "  
Rachel seemes to take a deep breath. "Darling, I'll call someone to pick you up and handle all of this. How about you spent a few days with me? I don't think it's good for you to be in that huge mansion all by yourself." Another rattling breath. "Are you sure?", Frau Schneider can hear the tremble in her niece's words. "What about your...?", the young woman trails off.

Frau Schneider thinks of her puppies and smiled. "They won't mind. In fact, they'll probably be delighted to meet someone new - sweet girl like you, they'll love you! They'd keep you company while I'm away at work. Normally I'd take a vacation for something as important as this, you know that dear, but I'm workibg on a very important project for my company right now that can't be postponed."  
Frau Schneider waits a moment, letting her niece decide.

"Alright.", is Rachel's breathless answer and the line goes dead. Frau Schneider lowers the phone and studies her room in thought as she texts Mark - her _man for everything_. She'll have to try and explain the situation to the dogs (and get them to wear clothes, or at least some type of pants, for the duration of her niece's stay - five naked pups might be a bit much for the poor girl right now.)

~~~

Rachel watches the buildings pass by through the windows. A man had collected her at home and begun to drive her to her aunt's home. It is several hours away, so they would be driving well into the night. Her suitcase is safely deposited in the back and Rachel tries not to think about anything that is behind her right now. Her father...and mother, if she doesn't think about it, it doesn't need to hurt. To be honest, she is actually angry at her mother, in a strange way. She has chosen the easy path - _chosen_ to leave Rachel alone. Why couldn't she have been braver? The world didn't need to end just because Father died. They could have managed, together. But no, her mother was consumed by her grief.

Instead of focusing on this thought, Rachel directs her musings towards her Aunt and her _...dogs._ She knows that there are five of them but not much beyond that - her father had deemed the subject too inappropriate to be discussed in detail. But now that Rachel is to be faced with them, she is interested. There were not _truly_ dogs after all, just humans conditioned to behave that way and Rachel is fascinated with the concept. She wants to ignore the nagging notion that it is almost like slavery. Surely, her aunt wouldn't be cruel to them. She probably treats them very well. Rachel always wanted a real dog but couldn't because her mother hated them. But now...

Lights illuminate the street as they pass a sign that proclaims that they had finally entered the city that her aunt lives in. Rachel leans back, and begins tugging at her clothes, running her hands through her dirty blonde hair and checking in the mirror to make sure she looks presentable and not like a puffed-up crybaby.

She is nervously excited when the car halts in front of a big house, and the driver motions for her to get out. Grabbing her bag from beside her, Rachel opens the door and goes to the trunk, getting her suitcase which is just mostly filled with clothes and sanitary items and not very heavy.

Rachel wipes her slightly sweaty hands on her trousers and rings the doorbell. The sound seems almost deafening to her ears but Rachel's sure that it's just her anxiety talking that makes it seem so daunting. The young woman hears the pounding of what sounds like severeal people barefooted approaching, and isn't sure if she hears it correctly when her ears catch on the slapping of palms on the floor. Are those the _dogs?_ Another pair of feet come closer, this one in shoes and the door opens a little. Her aunt is at the door, filling the frame and making it impossible to look inside. "My dear", she says warmly, "do come in."  
Her aunt steps aside a bit to let Rachel pass, quickly closing the door behind the girl. Rachel drops her stuff on the floor beside her in surprise when she is immediately swarmed by two men on their knees, wearing nothing more than underwear. Both of them are rather dark-haired, but the larger one's hair is almost black and slightly longer. "Don't mind Paul and Richard", her aunt says, pointing at them respectively as she says so, "They're harmless."

The one called Richard sniffs at Rachel's legs, his eyes wide and curious but friendly. He is sitting on his hands and knees like all of the others but neither he nor Paul who's also smelling her, touch her. There are three other men, but they aren't approaching her - they're watching Rachel from the safety of the doorway to the living room. Two of the three are tall and lanky, very lean but the third one is large, and though not as tall as the two lean ones, he seems like a giant in comparison. He's also glowering at her, as though he's angry, his green eyes gleaming from beneath the black hair framing his forehead. He is the only one that's scarred all over. It looks like abuse - but the scars are old; they look old enough for it to be implausible that Rachel's aunt was at fault. Additionally, the others don't have any marks on them.

"Oliver, Flake, Till come over here and greet our guest."

The three begin to move, albeit the largest one only reluctantly. "Till, don't be like this.", her aunt warns. Her aunt points their names out to her as well and Rachel's head is almost swimming. Paul and Richard have finished their inspection of her, leaning back on their haunches and watching her aunt for any cues as to what to do next.

When the three are finished approaching, Rachel can't help but stare at Till. He's maybe not the prettiest one (that would be Richard, Rachel thinks) but her eyes are nonetheless drawn to him. She studies his silvery scars, the broad chest and huge arms, his firm tighs and suddenly has to swallow dryly. He's certainly very manly even though his stare is more than unnerving. He looks at Rachel like she's a bother, and maybe she is, in his eyes.  
He seems like he would be the possessive type who doesn't like to share her aunt's attention.

Even though Till's gaze is less than kind, Rachel has the urge to touch him - she wants to touch them all, to see if they are real, warm human beings acting like dogs, but particularly him. His skin is pale and marred and he's a bit hairy but to Rachel, he looks kind of perfect. "Can I touch them?", she asks her aunt because, you know, asking doesn't cost anything. "Of coure you can. Pet them all you like. You're family, my dear, I don't mind."

Rachel knows that her aunt is thinking of Richard or Paul and is therefore surprised when her niece steps forward and into Till's space. She's only slightly hesitant before she lowers her hand on his head, running her fingers through his soft hair. She'd held her breath in anticipation if Till would snap at her (out of all them, he's the one whom she thinks would most likely do it) but he stays completely still, his unreadable eyes glued to her face, so she realeases the air from her lungs in a quiet exhale that almost comes out like a sigh. She strokes Till's hair for a while before letting her hand wander down over his nape, settling there. In the while that it takes Rachel to get to that point, the other puppies have approached her again and she feels a head butting the side of her leg softly.

She turns her head reluctantly away from Till to see Paul staring up at her with wide and kind eyes, demanding to be pet as well. Richard's not far behind, shoving himself beside Paul on her side and she uses her free hand to alternatively ruffle their hair, a small smile forming on Rachel's lips.  
Her eyes return to Till and the giant is glaring at his fellow dogs, or more specifically her hand touching them. He has become even more tense beneath her hand and Rachel, out of instinct, tightens her grip on his neck like you would to a dog you were chastising, her fingers leaving dents where they sink into his skin. It's not hard enough to bruise or even really hurt but Till immediately reacts to the pressure and turns his eyes to Rachel, slight surprise shown in his face. She relents only when he does, the cords of muscle in his neck slackening, and his head bowing in submission to her.

"You're a natural.", Frau Schneider says, "Not everybody can handle Till. He's very dominant sometimes. And _incredibly_ jealous." Rachel feels her face heat up at the compliment and strokes over Till's skin one last time before letting go of him completely and changing position to pay attention to both Paul and Richard at the same time.  
"I like him.", Rachel says, completely truthful - Till's a challenge, something that will distract her from the things she doesn't want to think about. "He's...different.", she adds and thinks that she'd have wanted to say _handsome_ or _fascinating_ if it hadn't been strange to do so - he belonged to her aunt after all.

But her aunt seems to understand because she merely raises a brow and smirks at her niece. "Would you like to see your room for the next few days? I'll show you around the house as well, while we're at it."

Rachel nods, and is treated to a tour of the house, including the kennels. "If any of the dogs misbehave while I'm away, tell me and they'll be punished."  
Her room is spacious - modest compared to her home but Rachel isn't very material, that was always more her parents, specifically her father. It will certainly do for her the week that she plans to stay until things at the villa have calmed down. She shudders a little at the thought of going back to that place that is filled with bad memories now, but Rachel couldn't bear the thought of selling it either - this was her childhood home as well.

As it is quite late already, she lies down for bed, leaving her door slightly ajar since it is warm. Her body is positioned so she can watch into the hallway through the gap, where faint light still illuminates the walls. Rachel can hear her aunt call the dogs to her to order them into their beds and holds her breath when she witnesses Till's hulking form pass by her door, looking intimidating even though he is crawling. She could swear that his eyes flickered into her room for a second, that their eyes met, but Rachel isn't sure she isn't imagining things.

When Rachel finally falls asleep, she is completely exhausted - yet her slepp comes only in fits of nightmares that leave her waking up multiple times during the night.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not really satisfied with this chapter. Might get back to it and edit later on.

By morning, she doesn't feel as though she has slept at all. Her aunt is already gone, Rachel finds a notice that she left for her saying that she wanted Rachel to rest and that there is enough food in the fridge for breakfast and lunch (Frau Schneider would be back in time for dinner).  
The dogs are scattered around the house, Oliver and Flake alternatively by the windows and the couch while Paul and Richard are on the living room floor, rough housing and playfully nipping at each other. When they see Rachel enter the room, they stop for a moment but her smile puts them back at ease and they continue their play. She like that they're so carefree, childlike in their enjoyment of life. Being around the two puts a smile on Rachel's face - if those two can be so happy, then the world can't be so bad.

Till's the only one that Rachel has yet to see today but she doesn't feel like searching for him, he'll most likely won't appreciate it, so she just goes to the kitchen and prepares something simple to eat for herself (she can't cook well, so anything fancy is out of the question anyway).

There's a kitchen island with a chair in the room so Rachel doesn't bother to go to the table in the dining room which is seperated from the living room with one of those half-walls. When, a moment later, she hears shuffling behind her, Rachel expects it to be either Paul or Richard since those two seem to be the most active and least shy but when she shoots a glance over her shoulder, it is Till that is approaching slowly and Rachel almost jumps. She watches him come up to her (although still keeping a distance), her eyes glued to his broad chest and the contractions of his huge arms as his palms move across the floor.

Rachel'd like to see him standing upright; see him walking on his powerful looking legs. There's tension in his body, he's not comfortable being around her - he hasn't figured her deal out yet and Rachel just _knows_ that he doesn't like that.

"What are you doing here?", Rachel asks out of curiousity but she receives no answer - of course. She wonders if the dogs are simply not allowed to talk or if they actually cannot. If they cannot, then Rachel guesses that it is even less likely that they can read or anything like that. They are truly reduced to nothing better than animals. She wonders _how._ Had the boys been trained since they were children?

Till answers her in another way - by looking at her food intently before meeting her gaze again. "Are you hungry?", Rachel asks, and the large man-puppy nods. "But didn't your mistress already give you food?", she continues and Till nods his head again.  
"So you're just _still_ hungry. But I guess you're a big boy, aren't you?" His eyes, so deep, tell Rachel nothing beyond his desire to have something from her plate.

Rachel doesn't question why she tears a piece off her bread so easily, getting her fingers covered in a bit of cream cheese by doing so. "If you want it, you need to come closer.", she tells Till, holding the food out in her hand. Rachel wants to show him that he can trust her, that she's not out to hurt him but if she just caves into his demands he'll think her weak and able to be manipulated. These first days are about seizing each other up and Rachel's not going to appear like she doesn't deserve his respect. He moves to raise a hand to take the bread from her but Rachel snatches her hand away quickly, ignoring his confused look. A mischievous twinkle enters her eyes. "I'll feed it to you.", she announces and holds out her hand again, the bread between her fingers. Handfeeding a dog is a recommended training technique after all - it teaches them to know where the food comes from and not to be territorial about it. Till looks at her darkly for a moment before moving forward, head bowing and expertly taking the bread from her, into his mouth. He chews, his eyes never leaving her and Rachel fights not to let her nervousness show - he won't dare snap at her while the shadow of Frau Schneider's approval of her hangs over them. Or at least that's what she tells herself.

Rachel's fingers are still covered in cheese though, so she wiggles them a little, smiling innocently. Now comes the real test.

"Clean me up, please.", she murmurs, her voice dropping to a whisper. There is a tense moment in which Rachel thinks Till won't do it, but then he takes her fingers into his warm mouth, his hot tongue swirling over the delicate digits. He holds her eyes with his as he does so and Rachel cannot help the warmth that blooms in her belly. She really shouldn't be so aroused - Till is looking at her with an emotion that looks less than kind.

After a few swipes of his tongue her fingers are clean, but Till continues giving them attention, and even begins sucking at them while running his tongue over the wet skin. The whole things feels strangely intimate.  
When she studies him again, Till actually seems lost in the motions, like he is somewhere far away and Rachel wonders if he has practise doing things like that and is simply falling into muscle memory.

She feels herself blush and get very warm all over, that heat in her belly coiling and twisting. Till's pupils grow larger as well, until they almost swallow the green. Rachel isn't sure what to do now - she knows what she wants - that is fuck Till until they are both sore and throroughly exhausted, but the thought that he isn't hers hinders her. Would her aunt be angry if she saw what Rachel was doing with _her_ puppy?

She shakes that thought away, her aunt's not there and Till isn't going to _tell_ on her after all. "Do you like that?", she asks him, her other hand running along his slightly stubbled jaw. He flushes a bit from what Rachel can see and slowly stops his administrations, letting her fingers drop out of his mouth. The digits are shiny with his saliva and Rachel does the first thing she can think off, wiping her fingers on his face, leaving wet trails on his cheek. Till flinches slightly when her hand comes in contact with his cheek and Rachel wonders for a moment if he thought she'd strike him. She lets her palm linger against his warm skin, her fingers running through the short hair at his nape and just stays there for a moment. She's waiting for him to cringe away, to retreat into whatever space he clearly has in his head and shut her out. But it's not happening - yet.

"You're such a handsome boy, aren't you?", Rachel hears herself murmur, loud enough for him to pick up on it. She surprises herself with her forwardness but considering _what_ Till is, Rachel concludes that perhaps this is just easier than talking to a man. He is on his hands and knees before her after all, wearing nothing more than shorts. The thought draws Rachel's eyes to said item and the girl blushes, staring at Till's crotch and the obious bulge there. He's aroused because of her. Or maybe just because of the intimate contact; Rachel isn't sure how much action he's getting - maybe he's just horny.

The puppy notices her gaze and shifts uncomfortably, trying in vain to hide his arousal, his eyes downcast timidly. Rachel's smile broadens and she raises a sock-covered foot, letting her clothed toes gently run along Till's bare inner thigh. His body jerks at the contact and he looks up sharply but doesn't lean away from her. When her foot arrives at his groin, she adds more pressure, letting the whole arc of her foot touch him through the fabric.

It is then that Till deems the contact too much, his whole body locking up. Rachel searches his eyes but they are cold and flat, he's not about to spill his heart out for her - and really, what was she expecting. Till has known her for a day and while Rachel knows that she genuinely likes him and want to get to know him, he doesn't. He distrustful, probably for a reason and Rachel lets him go, trying to convey with her soft smile that it's alright, that she won't punish him for not wanting to be touched by her like that.

Rachel can wait. The attraction is there, even if it's only because she resembles her aunt.

Till hovers in the corner of the room while Rachel finishes eating and they enter the living room where Rachel sits down on the coach, watching Paul and Richard exhaust themselves by wrestling with each other. Till disappears somewhere only he knows.

Once both of the boys are tired, they scramble up onto the coach to sit on either side of Rachel, closing the distance to her with every minute a bit. Once she understands that they want to snuggle, she raises her arms and lets them settle against her, Paul's head on her shoulder, while Richard rests his on her lap. He sniffs at her briefly and Rachel is a bit mortified when she realises what exactly he is smelling but he seems too tired to do anything but press closer to her. The two puppies fall asleep like this and Rachel opts to card her hands through Richard hair as a distraction. After a while, she grows tired as well, her restless night paying its tribute and closes her eyes to take a nap.

~~~

Rachel wakes up to growling, her eyes snapping open. Richard is clutching at her while Paul is on the other side of the room, at a safe distance. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, Rachel watches a hulking form that can only be Till kneeling in front of her, his eyes fixed on Richard. The growls come from him, his face twisting into a snarl. Richard whimpers and presses his face into Rachel's ribcage, prompting Rachel to pet him soothingly. This seems to annoy Till even more, his body beginning to shake as if preparing to lunge at Richard. "Till.", Rachel starts, "There's no need to be like this.", he doesn't move or react but keeps on glaring at the dog at Rachel's side. Rachel doesn't understand him. Why is he so sensitive about whether the other dogs touch her? He doesn't even trust her. She should tell him that, when he denies someone, he can't act like he owns them in the next breath. Till apparently doesn't like the thought of her having interest in any of the other dogs. What a peculiar puppy.

"Now, Till, please. Be a good boy. There's enough space." Their eyes lock and they stare at each other, a battle of wills. Eventually, Till is the one who relents, having been conditioned to do so, and he sets his big body into motion, climbing up and sitting down next to, but still at a distance from her. He's reserved which is understandable because even though Rachel feels differently, they haven't known each other for long.

Wanting to show Till that everything is alright - that she hasn't forgotten about him, she takes the chance and graces his cheek with a quick kiss, smiling to herself when he goes a little red and doesn't recoil.

Witnessing the exchange, Richard perks up and looks at Rachel with expectation in his wide eyes. Letting out a mock-annoyed sigh, she frames his face with her hands and positions his head so she can give him a kiss on the lips. She means it to be a chaste peck but Richard's very eager and slips her his tongue. Her eyes widen in surprise but she lets it happen for none other reason than that she finds him adorable.

He's such a pretty boy and actually not her type at all - but he's just such a charming pup that she doesn't mind. When he tries to fondle her breasts, she gently breaks the contact and puts his hands back where they belong, ignoring his whining protests. Paul who has sensed the atmosphere relax, approaches as well and flops onto the coach on Richard side, beginning to cuddle up to him. Rachel reaches across Richard to treat him to a kiss as well and Paul takes his on the cheek with a blush and a big dopey smile.

When Rachel settles back into her seat, Till is watching her intensely again and she is reminded of the saying _if looks could kill._ Rachel decides not to be angry and instead only playfully swats at his arm to distract him from his rage, and take his hand, intwining his large fingers with her smaller ones. His hand is completely limp, as though ignoring that she touches him will make it easier to bear the unwanted contact. Rachel can just imagine him fighting not to shake her off and be vaguely irritated by her.

He completely engulfs her and the thought that it would be _so_ easy for him to overpower her crosses her mind. And that thought _shouldn't_ be as arousing as it is. But Till wouldn't hurt her, just like he would never hurt her aunt - he's _just_ _a_ _dog,_ after all. _And dogs obey their owners._

That knowledge makes her curl up against him, using his massive body as a living pillow, not caring that he tenses up again. As long as he doesn't shove her away, she's interpreting everything as a good sign. He just has to warm up to her and if she repeatedly proves that she's safe, it'll happen quicker.  
Rachel has always been one of those people who ripped of band-aids all at once and jumped into the cold water to adjust to it quicker. And Till hasn't openly shown any real contempt towards her, so _something_ must be working.

Just before she drifts off to sleep, she realises that she hasn't thought about her parents at all yet because of the constant distraction that the puppies provide. Her stomach sinks for a moment before she drives the bad thoughts away again. She's not ready to deal with them.

And with Till's and Richard's bodies so close to her and their warmth against her, reassuring and _safe,_ Rachel sleeps peacefully for a while. And she's really not sorry at all for sleeping the whole day away.

~~~

The next time that Rachel emerges from her rest is to her aunt standing in front of her, watching her niece with an indulgent smile. "And here I was, wondering why my boys weren't there to welcome me home.", she tuts playfully.

Rachel tries to stand up, embarrassed, finding herself caught in a tangle of male limbs. "Hi", she answers, carefully freeing herself from Richard's arm around her. The puppy had cuddled up to her in his sleep and since he is only now coming to, he's still gripping her.

Till, of course, is already completely awake and sitting beside Rachel stiffly, his head slightly bowed. She is amazed by how vastly he changes when his mistress is near. All, or most, of his fight just seems to go and leave behind quiet submission. Rachel wonders how often it was beaten into him - she's not naive, she knows that that is how it's done. It's in the way Till hold's himself. He has known cruel hands.

Oliver is kneeling beside Frau Schneider while Flake is sitting at the window, not paying attention to the situation on the couch. Paul seems to still be deeply asleep, snoring softly with his legs twitching occassionally as if he was running in his dream.

"Are you hungry, Rachel?", her aunt asks and Rachel nods, realising that her stomach is rather empty.

She helps her aunt prepare dinner by chopping what Frau Schneider tells her to and they sit down together at the table after Frau Schneider brings the dogs some food in their bowls.

The older woman keeps a light conversation going, telling Rachel about what's happening at work and the like. When they have almost finished, Rachel is surprised when her aunt asks if she'd like to help groom the dogs tomorrow. While the haircutting is better left to Frau Schneider, Rachel can help with the shaving and bathing if she wants. She says yes, of course, relishing the oppurtunity to get closer to Till yet again. And to the others, she thinks, as she watches Paul's easy camaderie with almost everbody (but especially Richard) and Flake's and Oliver's quiet intensity. All of them are worth it getting to know them.


End file.
